A classic Mexican preparation, tinga de pollo can be used in various dishes, but to make tostadas with it, accompanied by some fresh lettuce and Mexican crema, is one of the most typical and delicious ways to enjoy this chipotle-spiced chicken.

Fill a pot with water, add a quarter of an onion, the clove of garlic, laurel, oregano and salt, bring to a boil.

Add chicken and boil for approximately 10 minutes or until cooked.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the rest of the onion and cook until golden and slightly transparent in a little bit of oil.

Remove the skin from the tomatoes and roughly chop into cubes.

When the chicken is done, remove and let cool, then shred, reserving a couple of cups of the cooking water, the onion and the garlic.

Add the chipotle peppers and the boiled slice of onion and garlic to the chopped tomatoes and puree until it becomes a smooth sauce, adding a little bit of the cooking water as needed to thin out the puree.

Return the chicken to the empty pot, along with the cooked onions and sauce. Simmer for 20-30 min, adding a little cooking water as necessary to keep it from drying out.

In the meantime, fry up 6 corn tortillas into tostadas.

When the chicken is done simmering, taste the meat for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

Like many popular recipes, people choose to eat tostadas de tinga with all sorts of different toppings. The suggestions with this recipe reflect how you are likely to find tostadas de tinga served in Mexico. If you choose to use the frijoles refritos, make sure not to fry them past the point of being soft and spreadable.